Inbox by Gmail Just Gave Email Marketers Heartburn

Bad news email marketers. Google has decided to rain on your parade a little more today. If the gmail promotions tab wasn’t enough, a new app is sure to cause some consternation among the old guard who say ‘the money is in the list’.

Today, we live in a world of emails. Trust me, you don’t want to see one of my gmail accounts. It’s absurd. Google’s Gmail team is looking to organize things for you. Inbox is being debuted as a companion mobile app to better organize things. You will probably recognize some of the features, such as bundles and the like.

The design and functionality of Inbox is to start setting that up for you. Have a flight confirmation email? Inbox will pull the important info out and display it without you having to open the email. Handy when you’re on the go and trying to figure out which terminal and gate you’re supposed to be at.

One of the coolest features of Inbox is the real-time updates from the web. Using the flight schedule email example from above, Inbox will be able to keep track of the flight status for your next flight. Incredibly useful if it’s too much for you to look outside and notice the raging blizzard.

Outside of the flight info, other important information will display without opening the email. Phone numbers and attachments will be available to you automatically.

Get your swiping finger ready. Inbox will group similar emails together – think all your Amazon purchases – and allow you to swipe them away together.

Features such as snoozing emails are available to the app, or receiving emails when at a specific location. Maybe I see things on the revenue side, but that seems like an incredible feature for Google to offer advertisers. Walk near a Starbucks? Here’s you a promo code for the day. I’m sure they are thinking it, and as a consumer, I’d like promotional emails more.

Want to try the app? It’s invite only right now, and you have to be running Android or iOS. Sorry Windows. No love at all. The invite only is perfect for Google. Implied scarcity. Reminds me of the madness of the Mailbox waiting list.